


Viva la Pluto

by datetheplants



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marauders Era - Fandom
Genre: F/M, James and Lily, Modern AU, jily, jily au, modern jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 14:21:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16812382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/datetheplants/pseuds/datetheplants
Summary: “Viva la Pluto,” he muttered and noticed that on the bottom of the page, Sirius had written it as well.Or the one where James and Sirius offer their couch and tequila to their neighbor.





	Viva la Pluto

The wall behind him resounded with a thump and the tea in his cup wavered just the slightest bit. Sirius looked up, meeting his gaze for a second before resuming his reading of the paper. There was another thump on the wall followed by muffled shouting. Their next door neighbors were at it again and no, it wasn’t _that_.

The building they live in was actually quite nice during evenings. It is when the sun rises that (forgive the cliché) all hell breaks loose. The children from the third floor always have the knack to wake the whole building with their screaming as they run around in the hallways. The old married couple from across James and Sirius tended to shout their responses to each other and the family next to them always seems to have a crisis. Mrs. Smith, the landlady, is a nice enough person as long as everyone pays their rent on time. Of course, the other residents of their lovely building had their own businesses to tend to but even if we’re talking about privacy matters, James and Sirius always seem to be updated with daily gossips because of how (probably) unintentionally loud their neighbors can be.

James could guarantee that the fourth floor is the quietest while Sirius argues that it’s actually the second. He believes that it’s because Mrs. Smith sleeps there and while that is true, James thinks that the landlady can create a ruckus for a whole floor when she’s knocking down on Peter Pettigrew’s door. (Poor guy, Sirius would say.)

Fourth floor is the quietest, James thought and only four apartments are occupied. One is theirs, the second is the family of breakdowns, and the third belongs to a silent university student who had prominent bags under his eyes. Sirius always tries to strike a conversation with him. Lastly, the apartment next to theirs was the duo who argued for most of the time. They weren’t married. James had concluded that after a week of trying to catch a glimpse of their fingers whenever he’d pass them in the hall. They weren’t together as well. Sirius had reasoned that there was no way that the ginger who wore battered sneakers and a bright smile on her face would go out with her sulky roommate who tended to stare down anyone who looked his way.

Opposites may attract but even James saw that it was a far cry from love and their daily shouting sessions proved it. It was through those that he and Sirius discovered their names: Severus and Lily, the residential best friends of the building.

Today, they were arguing over the friends Severus had brought over the past day.

James sipped his tea.

“I’d be angry too if I was her,” spoke Sirius as he flipped a page. “It was like a zoo last night.”

He was surprised that Mrs. Smith didn’t knock their door down. Lily certainly wasn’t having any of it when she came home around two in the morning. He and Sirius presumed that she just waited for the sun to rise to talk to Severus so that everyone on the floor can have a good shut eye.

There was a slamming of a door and Sirius quickly shot out from his seat and flew to the door, pressing close to the peephole. James rolled his eyes.

“It’s that git who walked out today,” Sirius said before turning around. “I wonder what Lily is doing.”

“Probably cleaning said git’s mess,” James guessed as he set his cup on the table.

It wasn’t that difficult to make assumptions though since he always sees Lily leave the apartment, dragging out a huge, black plastic bag. He always thought that it could be Severus’ body but still, he hasn’t missed a chance to offer her help which she would gladly accept with a tired smile. They would only exchange small talks and he never dared to bring up her fights with Severus unless she hinted at it. So far, she hadn’t and he’d say goodbye to go head to work while she’ll trudge back up the stairs with her arms around herself. She always forgets to bring a jacket or a sweater. James usually offered his but she refused every time with another smile and a shaky breath.

“I’m going to go over to Remus,” said Sirius, already gripping the doorknob.

“Who the hell is Remus?” James immediately asked.

“The loner kid at the end of the hall.”

James sighed. “You should probably stop bothering him, Sirius. It’s too early in the morning.”

Sirius was already halfway out of the apartment when he grinned. “But that’s the best time, James.”

And so he was left alone with his tea. He glanced at the wall beside him and raised a fist, letting his knuckles rap on the wood, gently. It was quiet. He suspected that Lily must probably be in her room, sleeping.

He walked to the couch where Sirius had been sitting and picked up the morning paper. Sirius had already answered the crossword and had used constructive criticism on the comics. It was of the planets revolving around the sun and he spotted a little speck on the print, far from the other celestial bodies.

“Viva la Pluto,” he muttered and noticed that on the bottom of the page, Sirius had written it as well.

Then there was a knock, soft and barely distinguishable but it was there and James turned the next page.

* * *

It was 8:47 in the evening when he met up with Sirius at their floor. He had just come out of his supposedly new friend’s apartment. He didn’t seem to be in high spirits. He scowled when he saw James.

“Bloody bastard cheated at chess,” he grumbled.

Sirius hated losing and he was evidently a sore loser.

“I reckon your day was productive,” James remarked as both of them walked back to their apartment.

“I doubt your day was eventful too, mate,” returned Sirius. “Accounting is boring.”

James yawned and ran a hand through his hair. “It helps pay the rent, though.”

Sirius was about to say something when a door ahead burst open and two figures stepped out. James and Sirius stopped as they watched Severus close the door behind him as Lily spewed out words. She stared up at Severus and she didn’t even seem angry. She looked defeated. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose.

“If you don’t want to be here,” they strained to hear. “Just pack up and leave.”

Sirius flinched from beside James. His mother had said something along those lines year ago.

Severus went back inside and Lily’s shoulders dropped. James felt something constrict inside of him as she gazed down at the floor, her hair shielding her face. Sirius walked forward and he followed. They could hear the loud and muffled chatter from Lily’s apartment. Sirius passed by her and took out his keys from his pocket.

“Crappy little friend you’ve got there,” he spoke.

James sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, willing for Sirius to have a filter. Lily looked up to glare at him. She was a whole new other person when she stared down anyone. Although James hasn’t been on the receiving end yet, both he and Sirius knew that the little ginger was too precious to anger.

“Our couch is open, mate,” continued Sirius with a smile. “We also have tequila if you want to compete against the gits next door.”

James noticed how her facial features softened which widened Sirius’ smile. He opened the door and proceeded inside, leaving it open. James stayed on his spot and Lily turned to look at him.

“Rough night?” he blurted out.

Her eyes darted to the apartment door before she shook her head with a smile.

_Stupid._

“Is it that obvious?” she asked.

His brain worked up a response but his mind had other plans.

“Why do you live with him?”

She stilled.

What another stupid thing to say.

For a moment, he thought that Lily would turn away. She would go back inside the apartment that she shared with her god awful roommate or maybe she’d just leave the building with nothing in hand. She stayed, however, and he saw her expression falter.

“I’ve known Sev for as long as I can remember.”

She tried to say it as firmly as she could and James wondered if she would whisper it to herself after every argument she’s had with a person she’s known for years. Or used to know.

James has known Sirius for as long as he could remember. They met when they were children and he introduced him to others ever since then as his brother. Years later and they’re still the same as they were. They grew up together. He thought of relaying that thought to Lily but he didn’t. He didn’t know how it was supposed to make her feel better.

“I’m sorry,” he resorted to saying.

Nonchalantly, she smiled. It was almost resentful.

“It’s okay,” she said, shuffling on her feet. “It’s my fault anyway.”

He didn’t question it because there was already a little part in him that believed that if there was someone who would strive to save a friendship, it would be her. That part also yearns to say that Severus doesn’t deserve a good person like her.

She had a fiery halo on her head and a myriad of freckles. She wore worn down shoes and old bracelets that are ready to be sprung apart. She seemed to hold on to things that are beyond her help. She takes out the trash at exactly 8 in the morning and smiles when he’d pass her by. The green in her eyes would twinkle the slightest bit even though the spaces beneath her eyes were darkening as the days passed by. She knocks on his wall after every fight to let him know that she’s okay. She marches out of her apartment, upset and always forgetting to wear something that would protect her from the cold.

James frowned.

“Do you want my jacket?” he offered.

Her arms instinctively went around herself as she shook her head. He stepped forward and she met his gaze. He hoped that he wouldn’t get socked. Hesitatingly, he raised his arms and slowly encircled them around her shoulders.

“What are you-“ she began to say.

He pulled her into him and the rest of her sentence was muffled against his shoulder. He held her gently as if she was fragile even though he was sure that she was exactly the opposite. That didn’t mean that she can’t have bad days, though.

“I thought you could use a hug,” he mumbled.

And he thought she was going to push him away but her arms went around his waist and she seemed to bury herself in his embrace. James recognized it. Sirius did it so often when they were younger after sneaking out of his house in tears. James’ mother did it when she was sad. His father had hugged him like that when he left home to live on his own. And so he held Lily and swayed their bodies gently side by side. He waited as her breathing calmed. He waited until her hands loosened on his shirt.

He rubbed her back before he pulled away slightly.

“I could use a friend,” she whispered.

James smiled and glanced at the open doorway behind her. “Or two.”

That night, Lily sang her rendition of _Don’t Stop Me Now_ in the kitchen while Sirius banged noisily on the pans. James wondered if she sees herself in the way that he sees her as she pulled him into a dance. He twirled her around as she laughed.

She was like the universe with all the stars on her skin.


End file.
